When Did You Fall
by Airica Adriene
Summary: ♫have you been waiting long, when did you fall in l o v e with me?♫ ▬ kaiora [merSora ficlet][fluff]


Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Atlantica. Gr. Okay you got me. The lyrics from the title and parts of the fic aren't mine either as (I think) I said before. They are this one guy named Chris Rice's. I love the song; it really describes Sora and Kairi's relationship.

Summary: Sora teaches Kairi to swim in well… Atlanica. Wow that was basic. I had the idea of a Sokai and being underwater but Heart (Heart of Dreams) helped with the plot a bit. Another post KH2.

When **Did** _You_ Fall

Oneshot

Kairi stared down into the icy blue water. "Sora… I don't know, what if… what if we get hurt down there? I mean, I know we can swim and all, but with fins…?"

Sora laughed. "Aw, Kairi! You always said I should try new things."

"This is different…"

"How?"

"Uh… well…"

"See? Told ya. Look, I've got experience! Relax. I'll go first, then you follow, 'kay?"

"But Sora…"

"Kairi," Sora said sternly, looking at her with some hope. "Please?"

Kairi groaned. "Fine. But you're going in first, all right?"

"I said I would."

"Okay…"

Sora took a deep breath a dove into the water. The calm water suddenly turned into a whirl pool of waves, one after another splashing the deck that now only Kairi stood on. Then Sora's head popped back up from under the water. He laughed. "That felt good!" he said loudly, but not in an obnoxious way. "You coming in or not?"

"Sora…"

"Kairi, it's simple. You just have to jump in and then… well then you'll have fins. You'll be able to breathe underwater."

"You promise?"

Sora smiled. "I promise."

Kairi took a deep breath and crossed her fingers. She jumped into the water as fast as she could. She kept her eyes tightly closed. This nothing she really wanted to see.

The water around her began to spin. Kairi kept holding her breath, though her lungs were dying for some oxygen. Suddenly the water was still again. "You all right?" Kairi heard Sora say.

"Huh?" Kairi opened her eyes.

"You can breathe now."

Kairi exhaled slowly but softly. That was when she realized…

"Sora! You have fins! Blue fins!"

Sora looked at her funny. "Yeah. I know. Same as you. Except yours are pink."

Kairi looked down at where her own two legs were supposed to be. Instead there was one pink fish tail. Kairi screamed. "Omigawd!"

"Kairi, relax…"

"I can't…. I don't… I have no legs! I… I can't swim!"

"Kairi…"

"I'm going to die! I can't…"

"KAIRI!" Sora finally yelled in frustration. "Breathe!"

Kairi took another deep breath. "Sora… I don't think I can swim very good… not being part fish… Sora please help me," she pleaded.

Sora had never seen Kairi like this before. She always seemed as cool as a cucumber; this really wasn't like her. Sora swam over to her and grabbed her wrists. "Just… just practice going up Kairi… you're okay… calm down… I've got you, you won't fall…"

"S-Sora…"

"Just try it…"

Kairi blinked. Then she finally got the courage. She pushed her arms up, trying to make her fin flip enough to make her go up a little. Sora smiled. "Good job," he said. "I'm gonna let go now…"

"Don't Sora! Please don't."

"You're going to have to learn how to do this by yourself Kairi…"

Kairi moaned. "Sora, I'm scared."

"It's okay Kairi. It's simple."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Sora slowly opened the grasp on Kairi's wrists. Kairi yelped and fell onto Sora's torso. Sora gasped and blushed. Kairi's head landed on Sora's chest. His heart was pounding with embarrassment. Kairi felt her cheeks burning. She pushed herself off of him and tried to keep her balance.

But it didn't work.

Kairi fell onto him again.

"Kairi!"

"Sora, I'm so sorry!"

"… It's okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

There was a moment of silence then. Kairi cleared her throat. Then she began to try again. Finally, she was successfully able to swim horizontally.

"Great Kairi!" Sora said, grinning. "Now you have to swim vertically."

"What!"

"Kidding."

Kairi narrowed her eyes at Sora. Then she smiled. "Sora, Sora, Sora." She laughed. "You get more and more naive every time."

"Every time what?"

Kairi stopped. Sora watched her face turn five shades of red. She laughed nervously. "Uh… oh, nothing."

Sora stared at her for a moment, and then he swam to a round, smooth rock. He sat down slowly, his eye still on Kairi. Kairi had her arms spread out, and she finally was able to swim.

"Sora! I got it!"

Sora laughed. "Yeah! You did! Good job, Kairi."

Kairi smiled proudly. Her auburn colored hair flowed slowly in the cerulean water. Sora couldn't stop staring. He shook his head, and then swam over to her.

"Hey Sora!" Kairi exclaimed excitedly to Sora. "How about a race?"

"Sure, okay!" Sora was always up for competition. Especially races. He always wanted to race somebody, even when he was tired or sad.

"Ready… set… go!" Kairi began to swim. She started loving the feel of the ocean now. She could feel the water flying past her. Kairi was an arrow going through the air. An aerodynamic arrow, breaking silence. She was free in the water. She was fast in the water.

But Sora was faster.

He had won be a landslide.

"Aha! Another victory to Sora," he said with a grin. Kairi laughed and began to twirl her hair around on her finger. She spun around in the water, bubbles following her. Suddenly Kairi stopped. A flirtatious smile spread across her face as she swam over to Sora. Her eyes stared deeply into his.

"Kairi… why are you looking at me like that?" said Sora, confusion spreading across his own face. _What's she doing?_ Sora thought, _she's never looked at me like that before…_ His eyes examined her face. What was she…?

Suddenly it hit him.

"Kairi…"

Sora had realized it. Why didn't he realize that before! What hadn't he seen there before? What had he missed? The hints, the smiles, the giggles… where were they? Sora didn't remember. When did she fall? That question was the one that stuck out more than all of them. When had it happened?

Sora took a deep breath. Kairi smiled at him, softly and happily. He took another breath as he felt her fins tickle his. "Kairi… when did you fall in love with me? I don't… was it… where did it come from?"

"I loved you forever Sora."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"But then…" Then Sora sighed. "I loved you all that time, didn't I."

"Yes, you did."

"But how did I miss that? I mean… when did I…"

Kairi watched Sora's face turn red. She put a hand to his chest. It was beating harder than she had ever felt it. She laughed. "It doesn't matter now Sora. What matters is that you realize it now. Because… your heart. You're safe. And now you realize it. You have nothing else to think about."

"Oh."

"And one more thing, Sora."

"What else is there Kairi? I mean, besides the fact that we're sti-"

Kairi couldn't keep it in any more. She locked her arms around Sora and kissed him. And he kissed back. Because he realized it.

They loved each other.


End file.
